This invention relates to the field of labeling, and more particularly, this invention relates to the field of automatically applying labels onto cards.
Debit cards in the form of a wallet sized phone card have become common place in Europe, the United States and especially Latin America because the purchaser of the phone card does not have to establish a special account with the phone company or other telephone service provider. As is well known, the phone card has a personal identification number (PIN), usually printed on the phone card. A scratch-off paint or other coating is typically sprayed or applied by other means onto the printed PIN to cover the PIN. In the most simple type of card, the user purchases the card and scratches off the coating to reveal the PIN contained on the card. The user dials a long distance telephone number belonging to the card issuer and then dials the PIN number contained on the card. The account balance is verified and a call to a desired location completed by having the user dial a long distance telephone company. The phone card account balance is then charged.
In other types of cards, a magnetic strip can be applied onto the phone card to allow replenishing of the phone card via a credit card or other means if insufficient funds are still contained on the phone card. A control number often is established with the card to allow replenishing. Often with phone cards, they must be processed in an automated manner very quickly. The PIN number is typically printed on the card, together with a control number either adjacent to the PIN number or located somewhere else on the card. Thus, either one or two printing steps onto the card are required, and then a separate coding step required to cover the printed PIN. Additionally, if the control code is located adjacent the PIN, then the control number could be accidentally covered under high speed operating conditions.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a debit card and associated method of applying a PIN and control code onto a debit card in an efficient manner without the drawbacks of the prior art.
In accordance with the present invention, a debit card comprises a rectangular configured, planar card member that is wallet sized and has front and rear surfaces. The phone card can be processed as part of a planar card carrier member, which is then cut out or removed, such as by breaking perforations that hold the phone card to the card carrier member. In one aspect of the invention, a data encoded strip is positioned on the rear surface of the card. A scratch-off label is adhered to the rear surface and has opposing sides. One side has a self-adhesive positioned thereon that removably adheres the scratch-off label onto the planar card member. The other side has a PIN code field containing a printed PIN (personal identification number) thereon. A control code field is positioned adjacent the PIN code field and has a control code printed thereon. A scratch-off layer covers only the PIN code field to obscure from viewing the PIN while leaving exposed the control code field and any control code printed thereon.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a data encoded strip is formed as a magnetic strip. The data encoded strip could be formed as a label stripe that has been applied in an automated labeling process. The scratch-off label strip could include a base label layer that has been removed from a carrier web during an automated labeling process. The control code can comprise a two-dimensional bar code and the control code could comprise a regular bar code. In still another aspect of the present invention, the control code can comprise an array of dots. The debit card could be a credit card or telephone calling card.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the telephone calling card includes a rectangular configured, planar card member that is wallet sized and has front and rear surfaces. The rear surface includes instructions for telephone dialing. A scratch-off label strip has been adhered to the rear surface. The scratch-off label strip has opposing sides, one side having a self-adhesive positioned thereon that removably adheres to scratch-off label onto the planar card member. The other side has a PIN code field containing a printed PIN (personal identification number) thereon. A control code field is positioned adjacent the PIN code field and has a control code printed thereon. A scratch-off layer covers only the PIN code field to obscure from viewing the PIN and leaving unobscured the control code field.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a method of applying a PIN (personal identification number) and control code onto a debit card comprises the step of supplying a batch of planar and rigid card carriers, each containing at least one rectangular configured, planar card member that is wallet sized and has front and rear surfaces, while drawing in succession a single card carrier at a time in vertical orientation from the batch into a belt delivery system. The card carrier is rotated 90xc2x0 to lay the card carrier flat, and while the card carrier is flat, the card carrier is fed into a labeling station. At the labeling station, the scratch-off label strip is adhered onto the rear surface of the planar card member that is part of the card carrier. The scratch-off label strip has opposing sides and one side has a self-adhesive positioned thereon that removably adheres the scratch-off label onto the planar card member during labeling. The other side has a PIN code field containing a printed PIN (personal identification number) thereon. A control code field is positioned adjacent the PIN code field and has a control code printed thereon. A scratch-off layer covers only the PIN code field to obscure from viewing the PIN code, while leaving exposed the control code field.